By Tracy Lam, Photo Manager
Freshman Alex Tran has danced her way to center stage by landing a spot on the Varsity Hip-Hop Dance team. Tran has been dancing for six years and it all started with a rather unusual beginning.
“I started watching “Dance Moms” in third grade and I got really obsessed so I asked my dad to put me in dance classes and ever since I’ve loved [dancing]. I just really enjoyed watching the girls perform in their own way and I saw that it’s really competitive and it’s something I wanted to do,” said Tran.
For Tran, dance is a medium of self expression. She wasn’t always as outgoing as she is today, but after years of putting herself out there and being emboldened by her peers, she has grown as a dancer and as a person.
“Before I had dance, I was super introverted and was never able to express myself. But when I started dancing, the teachers and other students helped me open up and gave me a lot of encouragement that boosted my confidence,” said Tran.
Considering the outstanding season the FVHS dance team had last year, Tran has some big shoes to fill, but she is confident she’s able to with the help of her coach and her teammates.
“To get onto varsity, it took my best effort,” said Tran. “My coach always tells me that the best you can do is our best or that the team is only as strong as the weakest person, so I believe that my putting my best effort into dancing was what got me accepted onto varsity dance.”
Tran has worked towards getting onto this team since she first learned about it in sixth grade. Although she was initially intimidated by the experienced dancers during tryouts, Tran put her best foot forward and took a leap of faith.
“I just feel grateful that I can be a part of such a wonderful team, varsity or not. Just being with the girls and being a part of this family is what really makes me happy. My coaches and my teammates don’t look at me as a freshman, they look at me as a dancer.”
